The Gift of Wellness for Mothers and Children in Pangasinan

Tuesday, December 20, 2016

The mothers and children of Pozorrubio, Pangasinan received their Christmas gift of wellness early as SM Foundation turned over its 32nd newly refurbished and renovated Barangay Health Center, the Pozorrubio Health Center on Wednesday, December 7. Beyond the standard medical services provided for by a barangay health center, this center especially focuses on addressing the special needs of mothers and children.

“It is very timely to focus on mothers and children as the Christmas Season is about a mother who gave birth to a baby,” shared Connie Angeles, SM Foundation Executive Director for Health and Wellness Programs. “The health and wellness of a child begins as early as conception. It starts with the physical health of the mother as well as her emotional and psychological well-being.”

The newly renovated and refurbished barangay health center has complete facilities for pre to post-natal care as well as programs and amenities to address the needs of the child during its most critical stages of development. Its holistic program begins by providing family planning services, orienting couples on healthy child spacing and proper care and nutrition for expectant mothers especially during the first trimester of the pregnancy. During pregnancy, expectant mothers can visit its 24-hour maternity clinic for any health concern. Additionally, nursing mothers, may use the breast feeding area. It also houses a Felicidad Sy Wellness Center both for children and the elderly, providing therapeutic ambiance to help aid the healing experience.

“So far, we are able to catch the mothers during their first trimester which is a critical stage of the pregnancy,” said Dra. Lusiana Bautista, Pozorrubio Municipal Health Officer. “Since we are accredited by PhilHealh (Philippine Health Insurance Corporation) with the Maternity Care Package, we implement the no-billing policy for indigent patents. With this policy, expectant mothers have no reason to not go to the health center.”

The center is also equipped with a Well Baby Clinic for new born care and screening and an expanded program of immunization which are critical for babies 0-1 year old. For the next stage of development, the center carries out ‘Operation Timbang,’ a nutrition program for children 1 – 5 years of age.

Another distinct component of this center is its newly improved Stimulation and Therapeutic Activity Center (STAC), which provides physical and occupational therapy programs for children with special conditions such as cerebral palsy, hydrocephalus, post traumatic fractures, and the autism spectrum among others. It also provides referrals for free psychiatric and neurological consultations and assessments.

“We hope to go beyond the physical health care of the child,” explained Angeles. “We care for their well-being as well. By addressing their special needs, they can develop to their full potential and experience wellness.”

The Pozorrubio Health Center also provides other health services and treatments for patients of all ages. It is also accredited as a four-in-one Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) provider which includes primary care benefit (PCB1), TB-DOTS package, maternity care package (MCP) and newborn care package (NCP). It is also licensed by the Department of Health (DOH) for Primary Diagnostic Laboratory Services. Catering to 34 barangays with population of 71,302 individuals, the center serves an average of 200 – 250 patients a day.

“Our desire is to meet everyone’s health needs,” said Dra. Bautista. “We want everyone to be able to access us anytime, with no hindrance. And with the improvements provided for by SM Foundation, we are now better equipped to serve more.”

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Early Christmas Gift of Wellness for Mothers and Children in Pangasinan Town